


Solstice

by theorchardofbones



Series: Tumblr Prompt Fills [3]
Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Christmas Fluff, Christmas Presents, Established Relationship, Ficlet, Fluff, Fluffabet Challenge, M/M, Solstice
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-15
Updated: 2019-01-15
Packaged: 2019-10-10 17:06:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,416
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17429999
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/theorchardofbones/pseuds/theorchardofbones
Summary: Prompto spends his first Solstice with the Amicitias; Gladiolus has another gift for him.





	Solstice

**Author's Note:**

> Written as a prompt fill for anon at Tumblr, for the [Fluffabet](https://theorchardofbones.tumblr.com/post/182029283732/new-year-new-fluffabet) prompt _G for Gifts_.

_ G — Gifts — Promptio _

 

Prompto gnaws at his lip. Gladio’s driving, so his attention’s on the road — which leaves Prompto alone with his thoughts. Which  _ mostly _ just means worrying about tonight.

‘You still cool with this?’ Gladio asks, removing his eyes from the road for a moment to look over. ‘We can leave whenever you want, it’s not a big deal.’

Prompto sighs. In the mirror, he catches sight of himself, and that one tuft of hair that wouldn’t quite sit right no matter how many times he ran over it with the flat iron.

‘Nah, it’s okay,’ he murmurs. ‘Gotta meet the family sometime, right?’

He follows up with a nervous laugh. Gladio shoots him another look before returning his attention to the road.

Prompto knows the Amicitias have a wing at the Citadel, but they don’t actually  _ live _ there, per se. Gladio has his own apartment in the city, too, not too far from Noct. What he’s  _ not _ expecting is for Gladio to take a right turn onto the road that leads out from the city.

‘Where are we  _ going?’ _ he asks, as he watches the hulking shape of the Citadel gradually shrink in the mirror.

‘It’s not too far. Sit tight.’

They pass by palatial estates with sprawling gardens, and Prompto worries — with renewed terror — which one of these disgustingly huge mansions Gladio’s family calls home.

Gladio keeps driving, though, and they turn down a little tree-lined avenue, until a cottage comes into view.

_ A cottage. _

‘This is where you  _ live?’ _ Prompto blurts, in disbelief.

Gladio chuckles.

‘Used to. But yep, this is the Amicitia family abode.’

Granted, it’s  _ big _ as cottages go — after Gladio pulls up out front, and Prompto climbs out, he can see that it spans farther than he’d initially thought, hidden from view by the trees.

He expects Jared, the Amicitias’ retainer, to answer when Gladio rings the doorbell. Instead it’s Iris, and Prompto feels a flood of relief at the sight of a familiar face.

‘Pom-Pom!’ she yelps, all but throwing herself at him.

He barely has time to react as her arms — surprisingly strong, for her size — fling around his neck and refuse to let go.

‘Give the guy some room to breathe, Iris,’ Gladio says with a laugh.

His sister detaches herself somewhat reluctantly. When she pulls away, she’s wearing her usual skirt and boots combination, but she’s thrown a gaudy Solstice sweater over top, complete with an image of Carbuncle stitched into the front.

‘Dad’s fighting a losing battle with the bird,’ Iris says with a roll of her eyes, ushering them in. ‘You might wanna avoid the kitchen till dinner’s done.’

Prompto grimaces. That’s one piece of advice he has  _ no _ desire to ignore.

* * *

_ The bird, _ as Iris referred to it, is a plump chickatrice. Or at least it  _ was; _ it’s a little crispy, and it doesn’t resemble a chickatrice so much as a massive slab of charred meat.

Iris carries it in and sets it down on the table, struggling a little under the weight of it until Gladio hops up to help her.

‘Dad was stubborn,’ she whispers. ‘He kept refusing to look up a recipe because  _ he knows how to cook a damned bird, thank you very much.’ _

‘It… smells delicious!’ Prompto supplies, and that much is, at least, true.

‘At last, somebody who has faith in my cooking.’

Clarus Amicitia stands in the doorway from the kitchen. Prompto has seen him in passing — never met him, though — and he always thought the man made for an imposing figure in his Crownsguard raiment, towering beside the king. He’s wearing a Solstice sweater, this one with a tree on the front of it, complete with flashing LED lights in place of baubles. It should make him somewhat less intimidating, if not for the carving knife and meat fork he holds in his hands, glinting ominously in the light.

‘Sir,’ Prompto says, jumping to his feet.

Clarus laughs.  _ Laughs. _ Prompto feels like the world is spinning.

‘Prompto, right?’ the man says. ‘You’re our guest here. No need for formality.’

Clarus sets the implements aside on the table — he’s a little less terrifying without them — and steps forward, stretching out a hand toward Prompto’s.

His handshake is exactly as Prompto would expect: firm and commanding. Prompto feels a little in awe of the guy as he towers above him.

‘Uh, thank you for having me,’ Prompto practically squeaks. ‘You have a very beautiful home.’

When Clarus claps a hand down on his shoulder, he damn near buckles under the weight of it — but he’s proud of himself when he doesn’t let it show.

‘Good to finally meet you, Prompto,’ Clarus says. ‘Gladio’s told me  _ nothing _ about you…’

* * *

Prompto flops back onto Gladio’s bed with an exaggerated ‘Phew!’

Today wasn’t quite the ordeal he expected it to be, but  _ boy _ was it tiring trying to keep up with the Amicitias. They get  _ competitive _ when they’re together.

Gladio’s room, at least, is pretty much what he’d been picturing: sparsely furnished, with a few personal touches here and there, and an entire shelf full of academic and athletic trophies and awards on the wall behind him above the bed. He always knew Gladio was an overachiever.

‘You survived,’ Gladio says wryly, settling down onto the bed. He ruffles his hand gently through Prompto’s hair and leans over to place a kiss on his forehead.

Prompto slips his arms around Gladio’s neck. In an attempt to be appealing, he tugs Gladio down towards him in an effort to initiate a kiss, but succeeds only in pulling Gladio on top of him, where he collapses in a heap on top of Prompto. It’s not even a  _ little _ sexy, especially when Gladio bursts into deep, rumbling laughter.

‘You think he liked his gift?’ Prompto asks, wiping tears out of his eyes once the laughter has died down. ‘I wasn’t really sure what to get him, but cufflinks seemed like a neutral choice…’

‘They were great, babe,’ Gladio says. ‘And Iris  _ loved _ those moogle earrings.’

With a sigh of contentment, Prompto tilts his head back and looks up at the ceiling. Gladio’s bed is a small double, and there’s not a whole lot of space with the both of them crammed on top of it, but he’s pretty cosy with Gladio sprawled out close to him, an arm draped over his middle.

‘So hey,’ Gladio says, propping himself up on his elbow. He lifts his hand and gently brushes a strand of Prompto’s hair aside, his lips curving into a subtle smile. ‘I know I already gave you your gift yesterday, but I might’ve got you somethin’ else.’

Prompto gives an exasperated sigh, but he can’t help that his cheeks flush with pleasure when Gladio ducks under the bed for a moment and returns with a wrapped gift in his hands. There’s a ribbon on top, elaborately tied, and Prompto’s almost afraid to ruin it by opening it.

Gladio’s waiting there for him, though, so open it he does; carefully, teasing out the tail of the ribbon, he unravels the bow. He turns the gift over to find a loose corner of gift wrap and works the tip of his finger under it to get it open.

There’s a bracelet inside, made of braided cords of leather. Hanging from it is a charm featuring some sort of bird, just like the tattoo that covers Gladio’s back and shoulders.

‘I know it doesn’t make up for all the times I gotta work late, but…’

Prompto removes the bracelets he wears on his left hand, and when he takes the new one out of the box, Gladio moves to put it on for him, fastening it gently around his wrist.

Prompto lifts his hand, dangling the charm in front of him so he can look at it.

‘The tattoos the shields wear represent Enkidu, the familiar of the first shield, Gilgamesh,’ Gladio says. ‘It’s a symbol of protection, and loyalty.’

Prompto lowers his hand and leans over, touching his lips to Gladio’s.

‘Like a little part of you is always with me, right?’ Prompto says with a smile.

Gladio nods, a smile crossing his own lips.

‘Right.’

‘I love it, Gladdy,’ Prompto says.

When they settle down beside each other again, Prompto curls in against Gladio, cheek resting against his chest.

‘Glad you came, babe,’ Gladio murmurs, idly stroking his hand through Prompto’s hair.

Prompto sighs. Closes his eyes, snuggling in close.

‘Me too.’

**Author's Note:**

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